Under attack
by Terfle
Summary: Sam finds that being caught in the middle of your turbulent past and hopeful future can be quite uncomfortable
1. Chapter 1

She stalked through the courtyards of the taverna, heels clicking angrily to the angular swing of her hips as she rounded the corner and came across the very man she wanted to see. Forget the sun and sea, she'd come all this way to give him a piece of her mind and she was in luck. For her unwitting prey, Sam Carmichael was standing right there. Never turn your back on an enemy, she mused as she hailed him ungraciously.

'So you are here, you fool.'

Sam couldn't believe his ears. Spoiling the blinding sunshine and that beautiful blue sea was the voice of the devil, or how he'd come to think of her. Surely it was in his imagination? Even so, he had a sinking feeling it wasn't. And this spelled doom.

She saw his back stiffen and his head go up. She'd got him on guard now. She smirked as she placed her sunglasses on her head and waited. He slowly turned around, a look of confusion and terror on his face. She hadn't reckoned on having such an effect on him. She'd known him for 25 years, more than half of their lifetime and he still managed to surprise her.

'Lorraine! What are you doing here?'

'Surprise.'


	2. Chapter 2

'How did you know I was here?'

'The boys told me.'

Sam couldn't believe their sons had betrayed him. Innocently no doubt because they had no idea what the real reason was but their dad had a sudden urgent trip to go on. They had no idea how long Sam had spent turning over the invitation and agonising over whether he should risk it and go. Donna's daughter was getting married. And he had no right to be there. But she'd asked him, for some reason. He was cheered that she hadn't forgotten their time together but wary of the consequences of turning up on the island after 21 years. Lorraine had been his teenage sweetheart and he was all set to marry her, no matter the niggling doubt at the back of his mind but a few days with Donna and he'd all but forgotten her. He'd come crashing back to reality when he went back and told her that he'd fallen in love with another woman. She just laughed at him. Told him he was a fool. The wedding was set and all he had to do was turn up and look happy. She'd take care of the rest. He should have risked it all and walked out then and there but when he tried and went back to Donna, she was out with another man. He was so downcast he ended up trailing back to Lorraine with his tail in-between his legs and she never let him forget it. after a few years she knew his heart wasn't in it. And in a way, it was worth it because of the boys. Malachi and James. He couldn't have torn himself away from them. In the end, she'd torn away from him and taken them with her. to give her credit, she'd never retied access, not once. They may have despised each other but their love for their boys had made them uneasy collaborators.


	3. Chapter 3

'Why are you here Lorraine?'

She tossed her head innocently. No matter how upset or annoyed he was with her; he always noticed that glorious hair, so different from Donna's wheat blonde. Both of their sons had a tint of that auburn as though she'd stamped her claim on them.

'I wanted to see why you dropped everything to rush here for. I can see the attraction for you. It's beautiful here.'

It was a compliment but he could only hear that familiar taunt in her voice. She didn't know that Donna was the reason he was here. He needed to get her off the island and clear his head before approaching Donna again. This was a disaster waiting to happen. She could see the panic in his face and was about to ask when footsteps approached. Lorraine turned round to see the cause of Sam's discomfort and came face to face with a worried looking woman in dungarees.


	4. Chapter 4

'Who are you?' Asked Lorraine snootily.

She looked unremarkable next to Lorraine's polish but Sam thought her to be the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She looked radiant, just like the Donna he used to know.

'I could ask the same of you. I don't recall you having checked into my taverna.'

'Just visiting' Lorraine flashed a patronising smile. 'It's lovely. Very rustic.'

Everyone knew this was code word for shabby and basic. Donna narrowed her eyes in response.

'Well we're all booked up for the week so if you want to go back to the mainland, there will be more amenities to suit you.' She kept her voice even and waited for the attack.

'I just popped in for a visit, I'll be going soon. It's such a charming island, Sam.'

He didn't trust his voice so gave a slight nod.

'Well maybe Sam, you can escort your visitor out when she's ready to leave.'

He recognised her acid tone and sighed. He had hoped never to hear that again. The women were on the verge of circling each other. While other men might have relished a fight, Sam found it unpleasant. He wasn't in the habit of being confrontational.

Donna wondered how this woman could just pop in for a visit. From where? She looked expensive. She wasn't made for this run-down shack. Suspicion in her mind grew tentacles and reached her heart. There could be only one explanation for this woman and she was screwed. There was no way she could compete with Sam's wife.

Lorraine gave a tinkling society laugh which was wasted on present company. Sam had heard it all before and Donna was fuming.

'Well have a nice day then. I'd recommend the beach for a little relaxation.'

So she could get out of her taverna and hopefully be swept into the sea, never to return. Churlish thoughts but Donna wasn't in the mood to be charitable.

'Which other spots would you recommend?' Asked Lorraine, playing for time.

Off a cliff? Nah, too obvious. Donna gave her a few places to look at and turned to leave.

With a lurch in her heart, Lorraine finally realised who this woman was. This must have been the reason Sam left so suddenly. He'd done it before and he was doing it again. For that bitch in dungarees. The heart-breaking Donna.


	5. Chapter 5

She turned to Sam, trembling in anger.

'After all this time, you still choose her before me?'

He couldn't deny it. He didn't say anything but his downcast eyes were enough. Donna's heart swooped sickeningly and made her feel dizzy. She felt like she had been discarded and forgotten about instead of being adored.

'What does it matter now?' Sam got angry. She had no need to be self-righteous now. They weren't together anymore.

'It matters because I always came second with you. You never said it but I knew' she accused him. The anger drained out of him when he realised how right she was.

'You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have married you' he said resignedly.

'I was a fool to insist' she hissed at him.

Donna wondered what kind of woman would insist on marrying a man who was stuck on someone else.

'I thought we could build a life together, no matter how foolish you were. You wouldn't have got much better than me' Lorraine declared. Sam knew that no matter what had gone in the past, neither could regret their two beautiful boys.

'At the time I couldn't have anyone better than you.' he looked beseechingly at Donna, willing her to understand that it didn't mean he loved her any less. Donna understood. Lorraine's status was higher than hers and Sam wouldn't have had much support if he'd broken it off, much less married her instead. Then what kind of a life would they have had?

'It made sense for you two to get married' she acknowledged, wrongfooting Lorraine who wanted to, no needed to hate Donna. This woman had been a chronic annoyance in her marriage for 21 years.

'Then why are you here?' she asked Sam.

'He is here for my daughter's wedding.'

Lorraine couldn't believe it. The cheek she had to invite Sam back into her life!

'Do you invite all of your flings to important events?' She asked disdainfully.

'Only the most important friends.' Donna matched her expression.

'Yes I did hear you were very friendly towards him' said Lorraine pointedly.

Sam intervened at this point.

'Enough. This isn't helping. It's done. It's over.'

'It's never over when it comes to her' came the bitter reply.

'We've moved on. Please let it go' he pleaded.

Donna stepped forward.

'Sam designed this taverna. He did it for me.'

It was the first time she'd acknowledged it. Sam was stunned. He never thought she would. Lorraine's insolence shrank as she realised how much Donna meant to Sam. Donna felt a little sorry for her. She'd wasted over half of her life trying to make her relationship work with a man who didn't love her enough. The teenage sweethearts they had once been, were over long before this. She tried to reason with her.

'What's done is done. We haven't seen each other in 21 years. He wanted to see this place that I built from his plans and to catch up on how our lives have been since then. That's all.'

Sam couldn't believe Donna was now defending him. He couldn't say he was displeased with it. He placed a placating hand on his ex-wife's arm while she simmered down over Donna's earnest words.

'I don't regret what we had. We have our sons. But we were never going to be the same together again. It took me years to accept it and you managed that before I did. You made the change. We needed it.'

All the fight had gone out of Lorraine when she knew she was about to cry. She looked at Donna, that hardy peasant woman who had captured her ex-husband's heart. 'Neither of us could try any harder than we did' she acknowledged. Sam hated it when she was about to cry. It upset him. She stiffly congratulated Donna on her daughter's wedding, threw her shoulders back and strode off without a glance behind, knowing that she'd see him back in England soon and knowing that no matter how much she hated it, Donna would always be part of her ex-husband's life.

They watched her go, a lonely strident figure against the sun. Donna turned to him, annoyed once more. 'What change were you talking about?'

Sam had forgotten that he hadn't told Donna. There was never a right time.

'She initiated a divorce.'

'What?!'

'We've been divorced for a year' he explained.

'You never told me!'

'There hasn't been a right time' he argued back. 'Besides, what do you care?'

That stopped her in her tracks. She couldn't explained why she cared, could she? That would inflate his ego too much. She stepped back and resumed her reasonable tone. The one she used for Sophie when she had been little and didn't want to do her times tables.

'It doesn't matter to me whether you are divorced. You're still a thorn in my side' she informed him and swished off. Sam was left speechless. He could have sworn Donna had softened her stance. He scuffed his feet insolently and cursed his bad luck. Women!


End file.
